Honors an individual who has made significant, innovative and lasting contributions to the field of independent, nonprofit news, reflecting the spirit of INN’s creation.

2026 Award Winner

Norberto Santana

Voice of OC

Norberto Santana, Jr. founded Voice of OC 17 years ago. Since then, as its editor-in-chief, he has overseen newsroom engagement and fundraising operations — harnessing skills he says he developed as a kid selling flowers on street corners in LA. 

Santana says, “Growing up as a Cuban American, I was full of questions about democracy and totalitarianism… It gave me a deep appreciation for what it means to be free. To self-govern.” He founded Voice of OC in 2009, the same year as INN’s founding, and has been deeply involved in nonprofit news ever since.

Santana served several terms on the INN board of directors and remains active on the membership task force, the group of members that considers INN’s toughest application questions. He also has served on boards of IRE and the California First Amendment advocacy group, CalAware.

The LA Press Club has named him a Journalist of the Year (2018) and the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has recognized him as a “Distinguished Journalist.” The OC Press Club and California Chicano News Media Association have honored him with lifetime achievement awards and the national News Leaders Association has recognized him for his commitment to diverse staffing and coverage.

Santana also teaches public affairs and investigative journalism as an adjunct professor at Chapman University. He’s also an award-winning columnist, focusing his efforts on First Amendment issues and local government, being recognized multiple times as one of the region’s best columnists.

INN co-founder and last year’s winner of the Nonprofit Service Award Laura Frank said, “Norberto is a tireless and veracious advocate — a word he might hate with a passion because he does everything with passion — for local, independent, public service journalism. No one feels more deeply about the importance of it than Norberto and few have done as much as he has to protect it. This award is well deserved! 

INN CEO Karen Rundlet called Santana one of the “pioneers” of the nonprofit news movement and an accomplished investigative reporter and leader.

“Engage Norberto in a conversation and you’ll quickly discover his commitment to independent journalism, diverse staffing and coverage. Make no mistake though. Norberto also knows this work takes sound business practices. The entire field is better because Norberto is part of it,” Rundlet said.